William j



(No Model.) I W. J. KENT.

MAGHINE FOR BBNDING HORSESHOE BLANKS.

No. 518,609. Patented Apr. 24, 1894.

' shoe-Blanks, of which the following is a speci- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. KENT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR BENDING HQRSESHOE-BLANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,609, dated April 24, 1894:. Application filed October 21, 1893. Serial No. 488,776- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. KENT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Bending Horsefication.

This invention relates to a machine for shaping or bending horse-shoes into the required form to fit the hoof.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front view of the bending machine; Fig. 2 a rear View; and Fig. 3 a side elevation of the same; Figs. 4: and 5 plan views of shaping former.

The bending or shaping apparatus consists of a former l, in rotative connection with the shaft 2, by means of gearing hereinafter described. This former consists of a plate of horse-shoe form, having in its periphery a groove 3, of a form and size to admit the whole of the blank when properly bent so as to lie therein. To admit of the ready removal of the shoe when bent to conform to the shape in the former, the latter is divided in a plane corresponding with the plane of the side of the groove adapted to receive the inner face of the shoe blank and the outer part 4, is so mounted upon the shaft as to slide thereon and to leave space between the same and the permanent part of the former, thus permitting the easy removal of the shoe. The movable part 4, is brought back to and held in proper position by means of anut 5, mounted upon the shaft outside of the former, and the whole former is retained in rotative connection with shaft by means of a feather fixed in shaft and lying in a groove in former center. This nut is provided with an operating handle 8, by which it may be turned to clamp the movable part against the fixed part of the former. A small lug or burr, 9, is provided at one point upon the groove or upon the face of the former within the groove, to pinch the end of the blank when inserted within the same, upon the tightening of the nut 5. The former is mounted upon one extremity of the shaft 2, upon the other extremity of which is carried the gear 11, in operative connection with the shaft 2, the shaft being mounted in suitable bearings in' an upright standard upon the frame. The gear 11, is loose upon the shaft 2, and is in mesh with a pinion upon the drive shaft 12. Upon the outer face of the hub of the gear 11, is formed a clutch member, 13, and a corresponding clutch memberl i, 1s

mounted upon the shaft so as to slide longitudinally thereon, but retained in rotative connection with the shaft by means of a feather fixed in the shaft and lying in a groove in the clutch member. To this movable member is connected by a fork 15, a bell-cranklever 16, pivoted upon the frame, whose longer arm extends out to, and lies in position to be struck by a cam 17, on face of the gear 11, to throw the clutch member out of engagement at each revolution of the gear. This allows the gear to revolve idly upon the shaft, without rotating the bending former. To throw the clutch again into engagement, the bell-crank arm is connected to a foot lever 18, under control of the operator.

For the purpose of exerting a pressure upon the blank to force the same to follow the groove 3, in the former, there is provided a presser roller 19, mounted in hearings in a sliding head 20, which is held in guides, 21, upon the standard. This roller 19, restsupon the edge of the former, closing the groove, 3. The sliding head 20, carrying the presser roll, is held closely but with a yielding pressure, against the periphery of the former bed by means of a lever 22, resting upon a suitable support 23, attached to the frame, one end of which lever lies close to the sliding head. The other end has spring connection 24., with a fixed support, and the tension of the spring is made adjustable by means of a nut 25, or other convenient means. The lever also has several notches 26, at the point where it rests upon its support, by means of which the relative lengths of its two arms may be varied to suit the pressure required for various classes of work. Thus as the former rotates, the sliding head 20, is caused to reciprocate in its guides or track according as the periphery of the former with which the roller is in contact is at a greater or less distance from the center of rotation, the spring retaining the roller pressed at all times closely up to the periphery of the former. The blank being introduced at one point and there clamped by means of the nut before described, the rotation of the former causes the roller to press the blank'intothe groove until it assumes the form thereof. The reciprocating head 20, is also provided with a guide 27, located in front of the presser roll in line with the groove in the former to hold the blank in proper position forintroduction into the same.

The operative parts of the shaping device are thrown into and out of gear with the mam shaft 2', by means of the clutch before described, for the reason that it is of advantage that the movement of the former should cease each time the operation of bending a single shoe is completed, or at each revolution of the former. Thatthe outer part may be thrown away from the inner whenthe shoe is to be removed, coiled springs 29 are inserted,

which bear against the ends of the sockets in each part of the former. The effect is to force the two plates apart as soon as released by the turning of the nut. r

- The operation is as follows: The endof the blank is introduced into the shaper through the guide, is clamped in position by the turn- 1ng of the nut and is brought around in the groove until its farther'end has passed the presser roll. Upon the completion of one 1'ev-. olution of the shaping former, the movement of the same is automatically stopped by the operation of the clutch lever before described.

The clamp being released, the shoe drops or is taken out.

his to be understood that various forms and sizes of shoes may be constructed by different curves upon the same former, or by means of different formers which may be mounted upon the shaft in the same position as described.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a machine for bending horse-shoe blanks, the combination of the main frame, a

rotatable shaft journaled therein, a separable former fixed to said shaft one section of which is slidable to and from the other, said former having in its periphery a groove of horse-shoe shape, springs for separatingthe sections, and

a nut for forcing the sections together,a slidable head, and a roller movable thereon and adapted to force the blank into the peripheral groove of the former, substantiallyas shown and described.

2. In a machine for bending horse-shoe blanks, the combination of shaft 2, the separable former 1, springs29, nut 5, presser roller 19 mounted in sliding head 20, lever 22, adjustable fulcrum 23, springconneetion 24, and

' nut 25, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a machine for bending horse-shoe blanks, the combination of adivided former V j having the peripherallgroove of; horse-shoe shape, the springs and nut for separating and closing the sections of the former, a rotatable shaft upon one end of which said former is mounted, a driving gear loosely mounted upon said shaft having a cam upon its side face and the hub of said gear provided witha clutch member, a corresponding clutch member slidably mountedupon the shaft, and a pivoted lever connected to the latter clutch member and having an arm extended in the path of said cam, whereby the driving gear maybe automatically unclutched from its shaft, substantially as shown and described. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in pres once of two witnesses, this 18th day'of Octoj ber, 1893. I

WILLIAM J. KENT.

Witnesses:

AnoLPHUs' D. PAPE, K. FREIJE. 

